What will rented housing be like in Scotland?

Answer:
Rent needs to be indexed to affordability. Homelessness needs to be tackled. Rented housing both private and public should be energy efficient and at affordable levels. Legislation is being implemented to secure quality housing for new and existing buildings by 2040.

Full answer here: Private and rented housing plans for Scotland



Cost of Living Bill: economic background

Author / Creator: Scottish Government

Media type: Report

Date published: 2022

Summarises recent economic trends which informed the development of the Cost of Living (Tenant Protection) Scotland Bill


Cost of Living Bill - Key Statistics

Author / Creator: Scottish Government

Media type: Statistics

Date published: 2022

The key statistics which underpinned the development of the Cost of Living (Tenant Protection) Scotland Bill


A new Deal for Tenants. Common Weal submission to consultation

Author / Creator: Common Weal

Media type: consultation response

Date published:

"The lack of the provision of sufficient numbers of adequate housing is a sign that all is not well ... in the Scottish economy."


A new housing settlement

Author / Creator: Common Weal

Media type: Policy Paper

Date published: 2020

There is so much wrong with our housing system, from needless homelessness to spiralling costs (which have shut a generation out of housing) to over-mortgaged homeowners struggling financially to the sheer environmental inefficiency of much of the housing we build to the failure to build homes how and where communities need rather than where a developer can make most money.


Alienating, insecure and unaffordable: Living in Scotland’s private rented sector

Author / Creator: Ben Wray

Media type: Assessment report

Date published: October 2017

Young people are  most affected by the growth of the private rental sector. It is insecure. They are more separated from the community than in social housing. The quality of the private rental sector housing is inferior in general.


The Rent Controls Scotland Needs

Author / Creator: Common Weal

Media type: Policy Paper

Date published:

Rent controls designed around a points-based system linked to the quality and amenities of a property and attached to the property rather than the lease would provide a just rental provision.


Good Houses For All

Author / Creator: Craig Dalzell

Media type: Policy Paper

Date published:

This is a model for building an unlimited number of houses for social rent on a zero-subsidy basis using the Scottish National Investment Bank.


Energy Efficiency in the Private Rented Sector

Author / Creator: Keith Baker

Media type: Policy Paper

Date published: August 2019

The Scottish Government has significantly under-estimated the financial, resource and time costs involved in using Energy Performance Certificates as a basic measure of energy efficiency.  The financial penalties are far too low and are unlikely to force the changes required.


A Living Rent for Scotland’s Private Tenants

Author / Creator: Gordon Maloney

Media type: Policy Paper

Date published: September 2015

Living rents are necessary for social justice.  They should reflect the value of the property. They should be capped by a rent affordability index. Indefinite tenancies should be the norm. Hardship should be a defence in relation to evictions. Initial rents should be set against a points system to reflect the value of the property. Rent increases should be capped at a rent affordability index. Create a Scottish Living Rent Commission to oversee these principles.